Author on the Couch: Megan Morgan


meganmorganToday I’m conducting a session with… Megan Morgan!

 

GIVEAWAY!

Megan is giving away an ebook copy of her first book in the Siren Song series, The Wicked City to one person who comments and shares this post. Feel free to use the handy-dandy click-to-tweet links to share it quickly.

 

 

#WIN an ebook copy of The Wicked City by Megan Morgan! #AOTC Click To Tweet

ss1Me: Tell me about an experience that had a profound impact on your life.

Megan: Writing-wise: When I first started writing in high school, I was lucky enough to find a great support system right away, which I think made the difference between giving up and pursuing it for the rest of my life. I had friends and teachers who read and supported my writing and gave me feedback and encouragement. I think that made all the difference in the world. If you know a young writer, support them! It can make a huge impact on their future as a writer.

Personal: In my early thirties, I lost over 100 pounds. It changed my life in so many ways, including making me healthier and happier and more outgoing. It was definitely a big change and turned me into a different person.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you know a young writer, support them! It can make a huge impact. #AOTC #writerslife Click To Tweet

Me: Wow!  That is incredible.

What personality trait of yours helps you most as an author?

Megan: I’ve always had a very vivid imagination. Since childhood, I’ve been able to picture scenarios with extreme clarity and I love to work out stories and adventures this way, like watching my own private movie or TV show. The trick to becoming a writer was learning how to translate these ‘visions’ into the written word. Most of the time when I’m writing I’m just describing the movie I’m watching in my head. It has a drawback in real life, though—when I hear about disturbing things I can picture them all too clearly and it’s bothersome.

Me: At least you use your imagination to your advantage.  Mine gets me in trouble half the time.

What personality trait of yours hinders you most as an author?

Megan: I have a terrible tendency to procrastinate. I love to write, I love to complete a book, and I love being in the ‘business’ of writing, but for some reason I drag my feet all the time. I spend too much time being idle instead of writing and I’m trying to get better about that. I would like to make writing my career and I know that takes a lot of work and less time playing around when I could be writing.

ss2Me: I think we all have a little procrastinator in us.
What was your high point as a writer?

Megan: When I got a call from Lyrical’s editor at Kensington Books telling me they wanted to contract my entire Siren Song series! That’s definitely a day I’ll never forget. I had gotten an email from her earlier in the day but didn’t have time to read it, so I had literally read the email about a minute before the phone rang. I don’t think I remember any of that conversation because I was hyperventilating too much. I remember her laughing and saying it was okay, she experienced writers having a happy meltdown a lot.

Me: Happy meltdowns are a must from time to time.  Congratulations!

What was your low point as a writer—a time when questioned your path?

Megan: For many years I struggled to ‘make it’ as a writer. I wrote a lot of stuff but didn’t get published, and I questioned whether I was on the right path in life. Discouragement seemed to be all I felt. Funny enough, I wrote a journal entry at one point where I decided to quit writing. I made the choice to give up. It was very melancholy and dramatic. Of course, the writing muse doesn’t work that way and here I am. I’m thinking about printing it out and framing it next to my first book cover.

Me: You definitely should!  And every time you experience self doubt read it and see how far you have come.

How do you deal with rejection or bad reviews? What advice can you give others about how to handle rejection and bad reviews?

Megan: I try to remember that a bad review is just one person’s opinion, and I shouldn’t take it personally. My advice on bad reviews is just that—it’s an opinion and people are entitled to their opinions. You must be careful to remember that good reviews are also one person’s opinion as well, and shouldn’t be taken that seriously either. Unless a bad review is intentionally abusive or attacks the writer, don’t worry about it. And if it does those things, it’s no longer an opinion and just someone being cruel for cruelty’s sake.

As for rejections, it’s part of being a writer! They suck, but I try to learn from them, do better next time, and try, try again.

Rejections, it’s part of being a writer! They suck, but I try to learn from them. #writerslife #amwriting #AOTC Click To Tweet

Me: Words to live by! I love your positive outlook on life.

If you could have dinner with any famous author who would it be? Why?

Megan: Stephen King. He’s been my writing hero for ages. In my tender youth, I wanted to be just like him, and that’s why I started writing. I would love to have dinner with him and tell him “I started writing when I was 14 because of you, and last year my first book was published.” I think he would be a hoot because he’s pretty funny on Twitter.

Me: Yes! Stephen King is one of my favorite authors as well.

What’s the secret to your success?

Megan: Not giving up. Writing isn’t easy, getting published is even harder. It’s something you have to work hard at and keep trying. You’ll have lots of downfalls and you have to learn from them. You have to learn from the successes too, and remember that ‘success’ is always changing. The most important part is to never get stuck believing you know everything—there’s always more to learn!

ss3Me: Tell me about your third installment in the Siren Song series, The Burning City.

Megan: 

When the smoke clears, who will be left standing?

Tattoo artist June Coffin has another, more hidden talent: she’s a Siren who can influence people with the sound of her voice. But in the wake of a murder and shake-up at the Institute of Supernatural Research, her own powers are starting to kill her. The only chance she has of saving herself—as well as her kidnapped brother and best friend—is to become a vampire. But joining the ranks of the vengeful vamp, Occam Reed, is the last thing June wants to do.

Occam isn’t the only danger June needs to worry about. Power hungry telepath Robbie Beecher will stop at nothing to gain control over Chicago. He’ll destroy anyone who gets in his way—and June’s lover, Sam, is high on the hit list since his bid for Mayor. With the city and June’s heart being pulled in different directions, it’s only a matter of time before the powder keg explodes…and time isn’t something June has much of left. With a city on fire, can she rise from its ashes?

BUY NOW:
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The Burning City

 

 

When the smoke clears, who will be left standing? The Burning City by Megan Morgan Click To Tweet

Me: OMG I am adding this to my TBR NOW!

Share with us a few of your favorite paragraphs.

Megan: 

From The Burning City:

“Do you know how I’ve spent my life?” he said. “Mistreated, feared, tortured, taunted. Always someone pushing me around for being different—for being paranormal, for being deaf, for being too weird, for being too bookish, too smart, too anything. I didn’t fit their mold, so they wanted to beat me down and get rid of me. Do you understand why that creates a ‘monster?’”

“Yes.” Tears slipped from her eyes. “I know what it’s like.” She held out her arms. “Do you think I look like this because I want to fit in, or because I finally gave up trying to be one of them?”

This is an exchange toward the climax of the book between the protagonist, June Coffin, and the villain, Robbie. This is the first time in the series that June admits her over-the-top, abrasive, and subversive persona is a defense mechanism. It’s an important turning point in her growth as a character and it’s really close to my heart. It also distills the theme of the series—how being an outcast affects people’s lives and how they react to it.


You can find Megan here:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Pinterest | Amazon Page


PicMonResizedFinalRtDAbbie Roads writes dark emotional novels featuring damaged characters, but always gives her hero and heroine a happy ending… after torturing them for three hundred pages. Her first novel RACE THE DARKNESS is available for pre-order now!

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About the author: abbieroads